This Café in Alexandria Actually Has Kuwaiti Roots

Áve opened quietly on El‑Shaheed Galal El‑Desouky Street, with little more than a bold sign that reads “Coffee solves everything” and a menu that proves it’s not just posturing. A Kuwaiti-rooted café now embedded in Alexandria’s patchwork of neighbourhood spots, Áve skips the soft launch fanfare and focuses on calibration - bitterness, sweetness, texture, timing. The espresso is sharp, with the kind of acidity that clears your head before the caffeine even kicks in. The iced Spanish latte is a bestseller, dialled in just right - sweet, yes, but balanced by a whisper of cardamom. Nothing here is cloying or overcomplicated.

Its Kuwaiti origins show up most clearly in the pastries - spongy, golden, and steeped in just enough spice to linger. It reads like a nod to traditional halwa but stops short of mimicry. The tiramisù cake is impossibly light, layered with cream that doesn't tip into heavy, and dusted with cocoa that actually holds its flavour. The pistachio mousse has a clean, nutty base that resists over-sweetening, and the crunch mousse delivers the crackle of praline folded into dense chocolate without veering into sugar bomb territory.

Áve doesn’t over-explain itself. It doesn’t have to. It brings the Gulf palate to a Mediterranean audience.